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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25403563">Grounded</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/BloodEnvy/pseuds/BartonStark'>BartonStark (BloodEnvy)</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Marvel, Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>F/M, Fluff, Gen, Interview, Press Conference, hand holding, platonic pepperony</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-07-20</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-07-20</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-05 03:01:25</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>2,534</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/25403563</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/BloodEnvy/pseuds/BartonStark</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>A few weeks after the attack on New York, a press conference has been set up for the members of the newly formed Avengers team. And when Tony’s asked about what happened through the portal, you realize maybe he isn’t as okay as he pretends to be.</p><p>Based on the prompt: "Why are you holding my hand?"</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Tony Stark/Original Character(s), Tony Stark/Original Female Character(s), Tony Stark/Reader</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>7</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>165</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Grounded</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>The relationship between Tony and Pepper is platonic in this little AU.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Do I really need to be here for this?” you asked petulantly, following the others reluctantly into the elevator. Steve gave you a sympathetic smile as he turned around, but unfortunately, he didn’t offer you an out. It had been just over two weeks since Thor had returned to Asgard with his brother and the Tesseract, and you’d been surprised the night before with a call from Maria Hill, requesting your presence in Malibu.</p><p>You’d left New York when the others had and had spent the two weeks in San Francisco. You’d decided to stay with family there rather than returning to your overcrowded apartment in Bay Ridge. You were hoping to avoid the press until the hype over the newly founded Avengers and the recent alien invasion had died down.</p><p>Hell, getting in and out of your place to pack a suitcase had been struggle enough;  between the reporters that had tracked you down and your roommates’ persistent questions, you’d struggled to get out the door without letting them know where you were headed. You were pretty sure one of them had been the one to spill the beans over who you were and where you lived in the first place – David was a journalism major, and that kind of tip probably would have gotten him in good with potential future employers. You hadn’t bothered to confront him over it, but he was among the many contacts that had flooded your phone with questioning texts since the attack on New York. You couldn’t really find it in yourself to be mad about it anyway; finding out you’d been hiding special abilities from all of them until they’d seen it on the news was probably a lot to handle.</p><p>Hill had been friendly but all business over the phone; she’d informed you that a ticket on the eight-a.m. flight to Malibu. Apparently, you didn’t warrant anymore notice than that, or any explanation as to what the trip entailed. The only other information she’d given you was the recommendation to dress in business casual. You hadn’t brought much with you to San Francisco, so you’d dressed in jeans, a vintage tee shirt and borrowed a burgundy colored blazer from your sister.</p><p>A car had been waiting for you when you’d arrived, and the driver – a man who’d almost begrudgingly introduced himself as ‘Happy’ – had driven you to Stark Industries and escorted you to Pepper Potts’ lavish, spacious office on the third floor. You’d been the last to arrive – all of the team bar Thor and Dr. Banner had been waiting for you.</p><p>“And put all this prep work our new friends at SHIELD did to waste?” Tony teased from beside you, a disarming, teasing smile lighting his face. His eyes were tried, but the humor reached and warmed them. “Actually, that sounds like fun. Who’s for sushi?”</p><p>You laughed, the two of you earning a pointed sigh from Pepper, who was escorting you all down to the conference room. Tony winked at you as he leaned past you to press the button, mouthing ‘<em>Later’, </em>and you ducked your head to hide your answering smile.</p><p>Fury had briefed you all once you’d arrived – a press conference had been set up for those of you available. It was supposed to help people come to terms with what he called ‘the new world order’, but also to allow you all the opportunity at space and privacy again. Apparently, you weren’t the only one being hounded by the press.</p><p>“Bruce and Natasha don’t have to go,” you pointed out in a grumble.</p><p>“Dr. Banner doesn’t handle crowds well,” Steve offered, and Clint snorted obnoxiously in response. The sound earned him an elbow to the ribs from Natasha. She shared a look with the soldier behind her, and Steve’s lips quirked slightly as he met her eyes.</p><p>Natasha turned to you, giving you a small smile. She fell into step beside you as the doors dinged and you all filed back out of the elevator, tucking fiery curls behind her ear. Tony fell behind the two of you, pulling Pepper aside. You glanced back at them; their conversation looked tense.</p><p>“I don’t want to talk about it,” Tony insisted quietly. “I <em>don’t </em>want to talk about it.”</p><p>“I understand that.” Pepper replied patiently. “But they’re going to have questions, Tony. I don’t—”</p><p>“Shut it down. It’s off-limits.”</p><p>You turned back to your own conversation as the two of you came to a stop outside the conference room’s double doors. You could hear light chatter on the other side – reporters were already waiting for you – and your anxiety spiked. “I’m still connected to some… sensitive ongoing operations with SHIELD.” she explained. “Fury decided it would be best that I stay out of the limelight a little longer. As much as possible, anyway.”</p><p>“Lucky.”</p><p>“You nervous?”</p><p>You shrugged a shoulder awkwardly. “I’m not great at public speaking.”</p><p>“We need you in there,” she told you sympathetically, jerking her head back at the others. “You want to leave all this to these guys?”</p><p>You smirked despite yourself. “Good point.”</p><p>“Don’t worry, I’ll be nearby.” she assured you, turning slightly Clint came up behind her – somehow with a fresh cup of coffee in hand – his other hand touching the small of her back gently.</p><p>“She can’t keep away from me for long,” Clint said, snickering as she scoffed. “Besides, kid, we need you in there. Short of turning into a giant green gym junkie, you’re the most impressive person we’ve got.”</p><p>You grimaced, embarrassed. “No, I’m really not.”</p><p>“You’re right. It’s me.” Tony interjected, all bravado as he rejoined you. His comment earned him matching, good-natured eye rolls from the two agents. Natasha let Clint press a quick kiss to her cheek before she left you all, joining Hill instead. “Shall we head in? Cap, you want to take the lead?”</p><p>Steve smiled, but shook his head, his hands tucked in his pockets. “This is your world, Tony.”</p><p>“No matter how many times I hear that, it’ll always sound…” Tony gave you all a roguish grin. “…right.”</p><p>He didn’t give any of you the time to react to that particular statement, turning around and throwing the doors open with practiced showmanship. Still, you shook your head in amusement and caught Steve doing the same in exasperation. He smiled when you caught his eye, and you sighed in resignation, following after Tony and trying to ignore the flash of the cameras.</p><p>He was every bit the media darling they all knew him as, all the tension you’d seen on his face during his conversation with Pepper gone as he smiled at the crowd of reporters like he’d just won the Miss America pageant. He even went so far as to blow a kiss to one of the cameramen as he passed, and the guy looked positively smitten in response. Despite your nerves, you couldn’t help but smirk at his antics.</p><p>Tony led you all to the low-set stage at the far end of the room where a table had been set up with microphones and jugs of water. He surprised you by pulling your seat out for you, leaning in to speak quietly in your ear as he sat down beside you. “Just relax, sweetheart. Don’t look directly at any of the cameras, smile and just talk to the person who asks the question. You don’t need to perform to the room.”</p><p>You fought back the shiver that danced up your spine at the way his breath tickled you neck and the pet name he gave you, offering him a small smile. “I’ll leave that to you.”</p><p>“Have fun with it,” he said with a smirk, settling back in his chair. “And don’t be afraid to flirt a little.”</p><p>You couldn’t help your reply, cheeks warming as soon as it was out of your mouth. “With them or with you?’</p><p>Tony’s grin widened, his tongue wetting his lips before he caught his bottom lip between his teeth. He opened his mouth to respond, shifting in his seat to lean towards you again. The bubble between you broke however when a reporter called for his attention, but he shot you a surreptitious wink before turning his attention to them. “Yes, dear?”</p><p>***</p><p>Surprisingly, you actually managed to relax a little about half an hour into the conference, once the questions about your abilities and where they’d come from were out of the way. After them, you were mostly ignored anyway – between a secret agent, a notorious billionaire inventor and an icon pulled straight out of the history books, the reporters had a lot to keep them interested.</p><p>So, you sat back and listened, occasionally interjecting a teasing comment or two. Between Tony and Clint’s playful jibes and Steve’s exasperated but good-natured sarcasm, it was easy to find a rhythm, and as long as the questions weren’t directed at you, you could ignore how nervous you were in front of a crowd.</p><p>“Mr. Stark?”</p><p>“Hmm?” he hummed in response, leaning forward to pour himself a glass of water. He tilted the jug in your direction, and you nodded gratefully.</p><p>“You risked your life taking that missile into the portal,” posed the reporter, a microphone held aloft in front of her. The easy smile on Tony’s face faltered, and your eyes darted to his hands as glass met glass.</p><p>His hands were shaking.</p><p>“…what was it like? What was on the other side of the portal?”</p><p>Tony exhaled, setting the jug down uncertainly. He leaned back in his seat again, his hands returning to his lap. You saw his eyes dart to Pepper in the front row, and you followed his gaze. She seemed lost… like she was struggling to think of something to say.</p><p>
  <em>“I don’t want to talk about it.”</em>
</p><p>“I, uh…” he cleared his throat uncomfortably, and you reached out instinctively, sliding your hand into his. The gesture was thankfully hidden to the rest of the room by the stark white cloth covering the table, and the only reason you could give for doing it was that he just… looked like he needed the support. His eyes were on your hand but otherwise didn’t react right away; you’d half-expected him to snatch his hand away from your touch. Instead, after what felt like a few long moments, he interlaced his fingers with yours. “I don’t remember.”</p><p>Pepper suddenly stood, turning to face the reporters, every bit the capable CEO. “I’m afraid we’ve gone over time, ladies and gentlemen, and the Avengers have prior engagements. But if you all follow me, SHIELD’s Deputy Director and I would be happy to discuss the role SHIELD and the Stark Relief Foundation have been playing in the restoration of Manhattan.”</p><p>There were a few grumbles from the audience but they all eventually stood and filed out after her. Tony didn’t release your hand; he didn’t even look up, even as Steve and Clint stood. The archer stretched languidly, sighing. “Well, that was fun. Now, if you’ll excuse me, there’s a certain red headed badass I’ve got to go annoy.”</p><p>He gave you all a loose, mock salute before heading off. Steve turned to you, tilting his head towards the door. “You coming?”</p><p>The angle of your body meant that he couldn’t see you hand in Tony’s, and you pulled your phone out of your pocket with your other hand. You held it up awkwardly. “I’ll catch up. I gotta make a call.”</p><p>He glanced behind you at Tony, his gaze measuring. After a long moment, he nodded. “Alright, I’ll see you later.”</p><p>You nodded, falling silent as you watched him leave. The silence stretched onwards as you sat there beside Tony, waiting for him to speak. He was leaning on the armrest, his temple resting on his fingertips, his eyes forward, staring at nothing. Your hand was still wrapped in his, resting in his lap, his skin warm against your own.</p><p>It was so quiet you could hear the ticking of the clock hanging at the other end of the room, and you exhaled slowly before finally speaking.</p><p>“Tony?” he didn’t respond, other than the slight, almost distracted squeeze he gave your hand. You swallowed, standing and moving to lean on the table in front of him, hoping to catch his eye. “Tony?”</p><p>“Hmm?”</p><p>“Are you okay?”</p><p>He blinked, almost as though he was finally coming back to himself. His eyes found your hands for a moment before he finally looked up at your face. “Y/N?”</p><p>“Yeah, Tony?”</p><p>There was an almost self-sardonic tone to his voice. “<strong>Why are you holding my hand</strong>?”</p><p>You shrugged, embarrassed. “I… I don’t know, you… you looked like you could use some support.”</p><p>“Okay…” he nodded slowly before a smirk began to play on his lips. You felt his thumb brush pointedly over your knuckles. “So, why are you <em>still </em>holding my hand?”</p><p>You weren’t sure if it was the playful look on his face of the continued caress of his thumb that was relaxing you, but you exhaled, cocking your eyebrow at him. “Maybe because <em>you </em>haven’t let go yet.”</p><p>He chuckled, finally releasing you, his hand dropping to join the other in his lap. He leaned back in his seat and you pushed yourself back onto the table to sit, planting the toes of your boots on the edge of his chair, between his spread legs.</p><p>“Tony?”</p><p>“Y/N.”</p><p>“<em>Are </em>you okay?”</p><p>He sighed, eyes on his hands. They were bunching in his lap, twisting his fingers together. “I don’t want to talk about it.”</p><p>“I know,” you admitted. “I heard you arguing with Pepper.”</p><p>“Huh,” he huffed an almost laugh, looking up at you in dry amusement. “We’ve got two world-class secret agents on the team and it’s the student from NYU I’ve got to worry about.”</p><p>You felt your cheeks warm with shame. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to—”</p><p>He leaned forward to look up into your eyes, covering your hands in his. “It’s alright, sweetheart. Thanks for looking out.”</p><p>You gave him a tiny, grateful smile. “I know I’m probably the last person you’d want to talk to about everything that happened—”</p><p>“Actually, that’d be Rogers.”</p><p>“—but if you ever need to… Well, I’m here.” you finished lamely.</p><p>He smiled, and despite the almost haunted look you could still see behind his eyes, his face lit with warmth. “I’ll keep it in mind. C’mon.”</p><p>He stood, pulling you off the table as he did. You almost fell against him as you landed, your chest bumping against his. He raised an eyebrow at you and chuckled as you met his eye – his face was so close to your own – reaching up to brush hair out of your face. His fingertips skimmed down you arm to your hand, and he wrapped it in his once more. “I believe I promised you sushi.”</p><p>You let him lead you from the room, a little dumbstruck, before finally speaking up again as you reached the lobby. “Tony?”</p><p>“Yeah?”</p><p>“<strong>Why are you holding my hand</strong>?”</p><p>“I’ve decided I like it,” he said, turning and smirking at you cockily. “You’re stuck with me now.”</p>
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